Changes

The Thunderbolt primarily serves as an air superiority fighter, given the task of hunting down enemy bombers or engaging enemy fighters in order to establish air superiority over the battlefield. However one of the chief advantages of the design is its versatility, allowing it to fulfill other types of missions. Thunderbolt fighters frequently serve as high altitude escort fighters for flights of [[Marauder Bomber]]s. They can also be adapted to serve as low level fighter-bombers, night fighters and reconnaissance aircraft.{{Fn|1a}} Typically, Imperial Navy Thunderbolt Wings operate thirty aircraft.{{Fn|2}}

The Thunderbolt is a tough aircraft to destroy, built around an armoured superstructure and cockpit.{{Fn|2}} Twin F122v afterburning turbofans gives the Thunderbolt a good top speed in atmospheric flight, while a rocket booster engine allows it to operate in the vacuum of space and for fast take-offs when mounted on ground-based hydraulic ramps. The Thunderbolt should not be confused with a true "star-fighter" like the [[Fury Interceptor]] though, as its space capabilities are used primarily when deploying from an orbiting spacecraft into the atmosphere or likewise returning.{{Fn|1a}}

Quad nose-mounted [[Autocannon]]s serve as the primary dogfighting and anti-infantry weapons, while a pair of [[twin-linked]] [[Lascannon]]s are normally used to engage enemy ground vehicles. Four pylons, two mounted underneath each wing, allow the fighter to carry up to four extra fuel tanks, [[Bomb]]s, [[Hellstrike Missile]]s or, more rarely, [[Skystrike Missile|air-to-air missiles]].{{Fn|1a}} It can also mount [[Imperial Aircraft Upgrades|additional equipment]].

:{| border="0" cellpadding="3" align<gallery mode="centerpacked" styleheights="border-collapse:collapse" valign=150"top"!colspan=9 ||---->|[[Image:EpicThunderbolt.jpg|thumb|center|200px|Epic Thunderbolt]]|[[Image:Thunderbolt.jpg|thumb|300px|center|Artwork of the Side View of a Thunderbolt{{Fn|3}}]]|}</gallery>